The council has a responsibility to have a register of people/organisations who are looking to construct self or custom build homes for use as their main or sole residence.
As of the 31 October 2019 the register will be divided into two parts:
- Part One keeps track of local demand for self-build and custom housebuilding. People/organisations that appear in Part One of the register must meet the Local Connections Test.
- Part Two keeps track of general demand for self-build and custom build. People/organisations that appear in Part Two of the register do not need to meet the Local Connections Test.
What is the Local Connections Test?
In order to meet the Local Connection Test you must meet one of the following criteria:
- currently live in Huntingdonshire
- currently work in Huntingdonshire
- have a close family member who lives in Huntingdonshire (parents/step parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings)
- have previously lived in Huntingdonshire for at least three years and wish to return to the area
- be, or have been in the service of the regular armed forces of the Crown
Meeting these criteria allows you or your organisation to be added to Part 1 of the register. Huntingdonshire District Council must count entries on Part 1 of the register towards the number of suitable serviced plots that they must grant development permission for. This will be monitored through the council’s Annual Monitoring Report.
Should suitable serviced plots become available which are offered for general sale, we will notify all people with a valid email address on both part one and part two of the register.
How do I register?
To be eligible to register you must:
- be aged 18 or older
- be a British citizen, a national of an EEA State other than the United Kingdom, or a national of Switzerland
- be seeking (either alone or with others) to acquire a serviced plot of land in the relevant authority’s area for their own self-build and custom housebuilding project and
- meet the local connection test to be entered onto Part One of the register or go on Part Two.
You can register your interest in acquiring a plot of land for custom or self-build housing by clicking on 'Custom and Self Build Housing Register 31 October 2019 to 30 October 2020 on our consultation portal. You will need to log in or register to be able to complete the registration form.
What is the council doing to promote custom and self-build housing?
In order to promote custom and self-build housing we have included two policies in the recently adopted Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 to assist in meeting the needs of people on the register and to encourage developers and landowners to provide land for custom and self-build homes:
- Policy ‘LP 25 Housing Mix’ and
- Policy ‘LP 28 Rural Exceptions Housing’
Once you are on the register we will also contact you when planning permissions are granted for custom and self-build plots where they are for sale/rent.
We will periodically review and update the register. We may ask for confirmation of your continued interest in building in the district, or whether you have met your self-build requirements at certain intervals to ensure that the register remains accurate and up to date.
What happens to my information?
Information from the register, such as what house type people are interested in, preferred location, plot size etc will also be published in our Annual Monitoring Report. This a regulatory requirement and also enables developers and landowners to assess demand in the district.
The register will not be made public, although the council may report headline data – such as the overall demand for self-build and custom build in Huntingdonshire – in the Annual Monitoring Report.
More information about custom and self-build homes can be found in the National Planning Practice Guidance.